If a recent government survey in London is to be believed, over 60 per cent of the British public is of the view that having a mobile is more harmful than beneficial to one's health.

According to Science in Society, a Mori Research report commissioned by the British government's department of trade and industry, this alarming statistic pales in comparison to how mobiles were perceived two years ago.

Sir William Stewart, head of the National Radiological Protection Board, Britain's radiation watchdog, warned that the dangers of mobile phones -- particularly to children -- were still unknown.

A Swedish study has further linked long-term use with double the risk of a rare tumour on a nerve that connects the ear to the brain.

Dr Chris Desouza, ENT consultant with Holy Family Hospital, Leelavati Hospital and Tata Hospital, Mumbai, says it has not yet been proved that the use of mobile phones can adversely affect one's health in the long term.

"However, everyone should keep in mind," he cautions, "that when making and receiving calls, they are being exposed to minute doses of ionising radiation and microwaves."